In-jokes and references
Blizzard has included many in-jokes and pop-culture references in various forms throughout WoW. ;See also: * Easter Eggs * There is no cow level Characters and locations Hin Denburg *At the zep tower for Undercity, one of the gobblins is named Hin Denburg a reference to The Hindenburg(Lz-129) that blew up at Lakehurst, New Jersey, on 5/6/1937. Patrick Garrett *In Undercity at the inn is a reference to the 1973 movie Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid. Doctor Herbert Halsey *In Undercity the expert alchemy trainer is named Doctor Herbert Halsey. This is a reference to two key characters: Herbert West and Dr. Halsey, in the pulp horror novel The Reanimator by H. P. Lovecraft. In the book Herbert West creates an alchemical substance that can reanimate dead tissue. Jack and Tyler *In Undercity, there are two NPCs named Jack and Tyler fighting. This references Fight Club, the 1996 novel by Chuck Palahniuk, later made into a movie starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. Oglethorpe Obnoticus *Oglethorpe Obnoticus is a reference to the cartoon Aqua Teen Hunter Force. One of its characters is an alien named Oglethorpe, who consults a disco ball named Obnoticus for guidance. (Thottbot) Thunderaan *Many of the things that Thunderaan says are actual quotes from Mike Tyson. Bloodlord Mandokir *The boss Bloodlord Mandokir sometimes says "Ding!" (and occasionally receives a reply of "Grats!" from Jin'do) when he "levels up" while you're fighting him. This exchange is of course familiar to anyone who's ever been in a guild. Maws *Maws is a giant shark boss that players fight as part of the Ahn'Qiraj Scepter quest line. The name is a reference to the movie Jaws. Ossirian the Unscarred *Ossirian the Unscarred sometimes speaks lines from the Terminator movies. Nat Pagle *Nat Pagle is named after Blizzard staff member Pat Nagle. Hemet Nesingwary *This world-class hunter's name Hemet Nesingwary comes from rearranging the letters in Ernest Hemingway's name. His companions S. J. Erlgadin and Ajeck Rouack are anagrams of J.D. Salinger and Jack Kerouac, respectively. Colonel Kurzen *A reference to fictitious Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, from Apocalypse Now, who has retreated to a camp in the Jungle. Tech Bot *Tech Bot in Gnomeregan says things the support department would say. *Tech Bot spawns a critter named "Dupe Bug", a reference to a Diablo II bug. Un'Goro References *At Marshal's Refuge, there are two characters name Larion and Muigin, a reference to Mario and Luigi. One is short and dressed in red, and the other is tall and dressed in green. *Also at Marshal's Refuge is a gnome dressed in green named Linken. He's clearly a reference to Link from the Legend of Zelda games. As quest rewards, he gives you a sword or a boomerang, both signature weapons from the game. *A-Me 01, a robotic gorilla, is named after the gorilla (Amy) from the book Congo by Michael Crichton. *The entire zone contains many references to the tv show "Land of the Lost". **Marshal's Refuge, and the characters Williden and Hol'anyee Marshall, are named after the main characters from the show. **One of these NPCs gives a quest entitled "Lost!" **The entire zone is filled with dinosaurs. **Crystals and special Pylons can be found throughout the zone, another feature of the tv show. *A character is named Spraggle Frock, a reference to the show Fraggle Rock. Transporter Operators *The two goblins that operate the transporter that takes you from Gnomeregan to Booty Bay (and vice versa) are named Sprock and Scooty, a reference to Spock and Scotty from Star Trek. Theres also another transporter operator in Gadgetzan named Jhordy Lapforge, this time a reference to the chief engineer in Start Trek: The Next Generation, Geordi La Forge. Finkle Einhorn Finkle Einhorn is a mob in Upper Blackrock Spire. He's a reference to Ace Ventura, Pet Detective. Torta and Tooga Torta and Tooga are turtles found in Tanaris. The names refer to Tortuga, which in Spanish means turtle or tortoise. A Tailor to Cities In Booty Bay there is a tailor shop named "A Tailor to Cities", a reference to Charles Dicken's novel "A Tale of Two Cities" Algernon In the Undercity there is an NPC named Algernon. In his right hand he is holding flowers, a reference to Daniel Keyes' short story "Flowers for Algernon" written in 1960. Ghostbusters *In the Mage Quarters in Stormwind there are three mages sitting in a circle, eventually one of them will say “wouldn’t that be bad, like crossing the streams bad?”, a reference to the movie "Ghost Busters". *Egan's Blaster is a ranged-slot item used in the quest The Restless Souls that starts in Eastern Plaguelands. "Use Egan's Blaster on the ghostly and spectral citizens of Stratholme. When the restless spirits break free from their ghostly shells, use the blaster again - freedom will be theirs!" Tomas In Goldshire there is a low level Cooking trainer named Tomas. This is a reference to the well-known UK-based tour operator Thomas Cook. Under Siege In Stormwind, the cooking trainer and supplier are named Stephen Ryback and Erika Tate, respectively. These NPCs are references to the movie Under Siege, in which Steven Seagal played a cook named Casey Ryback, and Erika Eleniak played Jordan Tate. Thor In Westfall the gryphon master is named Thor. He refrences to Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Quest Titles So many quest titles are in-jokes or references of some form or another that they require their own sub-category! Welcome to the Jungle *Quest in Stranglethorn Vale, Probably a reference to the song by Guns & Roses. (Thottbot) Chasing A-ME 01 * Quest in Un'goro Crater to find the mechanical gorilla, reference to the movie Chasing Amy. (The dialogue of the robotic ape also references the movie Congo.) All Along the Watchtowers * Quest in Western Plaguelands, reference to a song by Bob Dylan, made famous by Jimi Hendrix. The Scrimshank Redemption * Quest in Tanaris, reference to "The Shawshank Redemption" When Smokey Sings, I Get Violent * Quest in the Eastern Plaguelands, referencing the song "When Smokey Sings (I Hear Violins)", a tribute to singer Smokey Robinson. Thottbot Items Angelista's items *Angelista is listed in the "Special Thanks" section of the WoW credits, and is most likely a friend or relative of a Blizzard staff member. She's had 3 items named after her: Angelista's Charm, Angelista's Grasp, and Angelista's Touch. The 1 Ring *The 1 Ring is clearly a reference to "The One Ring" from the Lord of the Rings books. (Thottbot) Empty Barrel *You can sometimes receive Empty Barrels (tb) as loot from the thunderers and stompers in the northeast of Un'Goro, which is a reference to Donkey Kong. Category:Blizzard Entertainment Category:Lore Category:Silly